MUMBAI: Union minister and BJP MP Raosaheb Danve has criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he was of no use to anyone, and also likened him to a stray bull.
As Congress objected to his "indecent and shocking" remarks and demanded his removal from the Union cabinet, the senior BJP leader on Saturday night said he was just giving an example from agriculture to explain the work done by "performing" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also said Congress distorted the word "saand" used by him to "cover up their failures".
Danve had made the remarks while speaking at a public rally in Jalna district of Maharashtra as part of the 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' taken out by newly-inducted Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Karad.
Speaking in Marathi, Danve said, "Rahul Gandhi is of no use to anybody. He is like a 'saand' (bull) dedicated to god. He roams everywhere but is of no use to anyone. I have been in the Lok Sabha for 20 years and have seen his work."
It is a practice in rural Maharashtra and some other parts of the country to dedicate a newly-born male calf to a local deity.
That bull is not used for any agriculture or transportation purposes.
The Union Minister of State for Railway further said, "Even if such a bull enters a farm and eats the crop, the farmer forgives the animal saying it needs food."
"One should look at the great work being done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government is spending money from its coffers as Railways does not generate enough revenue from various sources, including through the sale of tickets," he said.
Danve stated on Saturday night that he gave an example from agriculture while holding a dialogue about the work being done in the last two years.
"There are two types of bulls in agriculture, one that works (useful) and another that does no work. When farmers asked me that they know the type of bull that works but they were unaware of the bull that does not work. I told them 'saand' is the bull that does not work," the Jalna MP said.
Clarifying the "bull" analogy used by him in the context of politics, Danve said, "There is Prime minister Narendra Modi who performs whereas Rahul Gandhi (is) like a 'saand' bull that does not perform at all. There are two types of bulls, a performing bull and a non-performing 'saand' bull".
Reacting to Danve's remarks, Congress's Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole sought the minister's resignation.
"He (Danve) has crossed all the boundaries. His remarks are indecent and shocking. We demand his removal from Union cabinet for using such foul language against Gandhi," he said.
"It makes me wonder how he can be given such an important post in the cabinet despite his track record of using foul language," Patole said.
Hitting back, Danve said, "It is an old trick of Congress leaders to distort or misinterpret the use of word 'saand' just to cover up their failures".